


Christmas Eve

by Castilian



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Parents, Christmas, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:41:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28320321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Castilian/pseuds/Castilian
Summary: It's the night before Christmas and Merlin and Arthur want to give the children a special memory.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28
Collections: 2020 New Year's Countdown





	Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the New Year Countdown challenge at Livejournal.  
> Prompt used: Family.

The cold floor is more and more uncomfortable with every passing minute, but Merlin does not move for fear of the crackling floorboards. The children went to bed twenty minutes ago, but with the excitement of Father Christmas coming, Merlin is sure they are going to take a little bit longer than usual for them to fall asleep. At least in Chloe's case, who at three years old understands enough to know what is coming. For Leo, just six months old, tonight is a night like any other.

After some more minutes of waiting, Merlin raises and listens intently for any noise that might come from the bedrooms. He stands very still in the middle of the hall for a moment, and walking carefully, Merlin goes to the dining room.

There is barely room for Merlin to step on. Flat wooden pieces of different sizes are scattered all around the floor, and in the middle sits his husband trying without success to assemble two together.

“How’s it going?” Merlin’s words surprise Arthur, who has not heard him coming.

“This makes no sense,” says Arthur gesturing with his head the wooden pieces. “I don’t know who in their right minds would think a child able to build this.”

Merlin clears a little space to sit on and picks up a small piece. “Probably because children are supposed to play with them, not build them.”

Arthur huffs but says nothing. For the way his siting, his back stiff and jaws set, Merlin knows he is about two minutes from throwing all away. “Have you tried looking at this, first? Merlin picks up the instruction page from and shows it to Arthur.

“That makes even less sense.”

Hiding a smile, and knowing Arthur all too well, Merlin studies the pictures showing how to set up the doll’s house for Chloe. He has to squint his eyes as the light is too dim. There is only one lamp lit in one corner, and the lights on the Christmas tree. There are already several wrapped presents under the tree. But this is Arthur’s long time obsession.

Since their first Christmas as parents, they have had the same argument. Merlin, remembering the joy and excitement he experimented as a child unwrapping presents not knowing whether Father Christmas had forgotten the toys in Merlin’s list, wanted Chloe to feel the same. But Arthur, who had awoken to an unasked vast amount of things neatly arranged, insisted that seeing first thing in the morning all of one’s presents was excitement enough.

So far, Merlin has won the argument every year, but this Christmas Arthur has obtained a little victory. “It’s going to be a nightmare to raise the house with the children running around us,” Arthur had said. And Merlin had had to agree with that. 

Another thing entirely was if the doll’s house was going to be of Chloe’s liking. She was not much into quietly playing with dolls and the like, preferring much more running and jumping and not being still. Chloe only sits to play when her collection of stuffed animals makes an appearance, and only because she loves all kind of animals. 

But Arthur had insisted. “Every little child loves to play pretend,” he had said. “What better way than with this little doll’s house?”

The house is certainly not little, but between the two of them working on it, is finally finished. Well, is mainly thanks to Merlin, because by the time Merlin was done with the roof and the upper floor, Arthur was still fighting with the greenhouse.

“God, my back is killing me,” Arthur groans and stretches. They are sitting together on the sofa, admiring the fruit of their labour. 

“Pity,” Merlin says, sighing. “Because I was thinking about giving you an early present.”

Luckily, Arthur’s back does not hurt him all that much, after all.


End file.
